Friday, January 28, 2011

You may not be aware of it yet but a Big Event is on the weather horizon, and I don't mean more snow for the East Coast. The World's Most Famous Groundhog -- Phil as he is known to his friends, is gearing up for his big day in the sun -- or the clouds, whichever may be.

On Wednesday, February 2, Phil will come out of his cozy burrow on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, PA, the town he has called home for 120 years. The furry prognosticator will stand tall in front of friends and family and make his long-awaited prediction. If Phil sees his shadow, we will have 6 more weeks of winter. If he doesn't, well, say hello to an early spring.

If you can't make it to Punxy yourself, Boom This! will have special correspondents on the scene when Phil has his annual moment to report back on all the festivities. Stay tuned for updates.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Remember those car bingo games we used to buy for our chidren to keep them quiet in the car on long trips? We'd have the little ones searching for cows and sheep and barns and silos and anything else that would pass the time.

Dave Hunter's book, Along I-75 is a lot like that except for adults and way more fun. Dave takes the drive from Detroit to Florida along the interstate and shows readers what to expect on their trip and also what to look for to provide a fun and interesting trip rather than one designed to be over as quickly as possible.

We Baby Boomers often have more time now for side trips when we travel, which is what can often make traveling memorable. Dave shows you where the interesting, the odd and the necessary are located on easy-to-read maps in the book, which lays flat for ease of use. The well-marked maps are accompanied by a writen description of highlights you might want to seek out. Things like the birthplace of Colonel Sanders' Kentucky Fried Chicken, abandoned stills in Tennessee, and the most romantic place in Georgia -- Barnsley Gardens.

So if you are living up north and a lot tired of this winter, here's hoping you can jump in your car and travel the I 75 all the way to the sun and surf in Florida. Happy trails.